Hammock-chair.



No. 636,669. Patented Nov. 7, I899. l. .IESSEMAN.

HAMMOCK CHAIR.

(Application filed Jul 12, 1899.) (No Model.) 2 SheetsSheet I.

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No. 636,669. I Patented Nov. 7, I899.

l. JESSEMAN.

HAMMOCK CHAIR.

[Application filed July 12. 1899.)

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

IRA JESSEMAN, OF LISBON, NEW HAMPSHIRE, ASSIGNOR TO WALTER F. HINOKLEY, OF BROOKLINE, MASSACHUSETTS.

HAMMOCK-CHAIR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 636,669, dated November 7, 1899.

. Application filed July 12, 1899. Serial No. 723,603. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, IRA JESSEMAN, of Lisbon, in the county of Grafton and State of New Hampshire, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Hammock-Chairs, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in hammock-chairs, and has for its principal object to produce a chair which will be so suspended as to have an easy undulating motion when swung, and one which will automatically adjust itself so as to support all parts of the body and conform to it at various positions. This my improved hammock-chair is designed to be suspended from the under side of a piazza-roof, from an independent and portable framework, or from any similar and convenient place.

In the following description I shall describe my improved hammock-chair as being suspended from the under side of'a piazza-roof.

The invention is carried out substantially as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, well-known and mechanically-equivalent devices being understood to be included within the scope of my invention.

On the drawings, Figure 1 represents a perspective view of my improved hammock-chair. Fig. 2 represents a plan view of my improved chair when extended to a flat position, showing its construction when consisting of a se-' ries of slats flexibly hinged together. Fig. 3 represents a cross-section on the line A B in Fig. 2. Fig. et represents a perspective view of my improved hammock-chair in its duplex form and showing the same construction of canvas or other textile fabric.

Similar characters of reference refer to similar parts wherever they occur on the diiferout parts of the drawings.

The body of my improved chair is made flexible either by constructing it from a series of slats 1 1, as shown in Figs. 1, E2, and 3, or by constructing it from canvas or other textile fabric 2, as shown in Fig. 4. When slats are used, each slat has its edges hinged to the next slat in the series, preferably by means of the cords 3 3, which cords are arranged at the ends of the slats and pass above and below the same, so as to flexibly connect them together; but it is notessential that they should be so connected, as they might be connected by any other suitable flexible connection, if so desired. The cords 3 may be extended beyond each end of the series of slats and form the respective supporting-cords 4 and 5, or other cords may be attached thereto and form said supporting cords, if so desired. It will thus be seen that there are two supporting-cords at each end of the body of the hammock-chair. These cords t 4 and 5 5 are each adapted to be attached to the under side 6 of the roof of the piazza at separate places by the respective screw-eyes or staples 7 7 and 8 8, substantially as shown. These screweyes 7 and 8 are a distance from each other determined substantially by the height of the roof 6 of the piazza from the floor of the piazza and by the length of the series of slats used in the body of the chair.

This hammock-chair is provided on its sides, intermediate its ends, with two more supporting-cords 9 9 on either side of the chair, which cords are each adapted to be attached to the under side 6 of the roof of the piazza at separate places by the screw-eyes or staples 10 10, which screw-eyes are preferably substantially in a plane passing through the screw-eyes 7 and S; but they may be slightly above or below said plane, it so desired. The screw-eyes 10 10 are preferably a greater distance apart than the width of the chair at the place where the cords 9 9 are attached, so that the cords 9 9 diverge as they extend upward. This tends to prevent sidewise movement of the chair when swung.

The cords i, 5, and 9 are provided with the respective hooks 11, 12, and 13, by which they are detachably attached to their respective screw-eyes 7, 8, and 10. Said cords pass through eyes in their hooks and return upon themselves, being provided with the respective clamps 14, 15, and 16, or suitable friction devices, substantially as shown, by which the distance between the screw-eyes 7, 8, and 10 and the body of the chair, or, in other words, the length of the supporting-cords 4, 5, and 9, may be adjusted and held in their adjusted positions.

By the use of the clamps 14, 15, and 16 I am able to raise or lower any part'of the body of the chair by adjusting the length of the supporting-cords and cause the body of the chair to assume substantially the form shown on the drawings, and can also vary that form to suit the person desiring to occupy the chair.

By supporting the chair by the six cords arranged in three pairs, as shown and described, and attaching them to the piazzaroof at six different places, I am able to produce an easy undulating movement to the flexible body of the chair when the chair is swung forward and backward by the movements of a person within it.

It will be understood that the supportingcords 9 9 may be permanently secured to the desired slat intermediate the end slats of the series of slats constituting the chair proper, or said cords may be so arranged as to be shifted from one intermediate slat to another intermediate slat, and I have shown one of the constructions which I may employ to be able to quickly adjust the connection of the cords 9 9 from one to another of the intermediate slats. number of the intermediate slats of the series with notches or recesses 17 at either end of the slat and attach the cords 9 9 to an auxiliary slat 18, so that the distance between the cords on the auxiliary slat will be substantially equal to the distance between the bottoms of the notches on each of the intermediate slats. If it is desired to adjust the cords from one intermediate slat to another, it will be understood that it is only necessary to raise one side of the body of the chair, so as to cant the intermediate slats, which will cause the cords 9 9 to leave the notches within which they have been resting, and the body of the chair will be free to be moved, so as to bring the notches in the desired intermediate slatinto position to receive the cords 9 9, when the chair is allowed to resume its natural posit-ion. The cords 9 9 may be two independent cords, or they may be made of one cord, as shown on the drawings, and pass lengthwise of the auxiliary slat beneath it and extend up through perforations 19 19 in said slat, substantially as shown in Fig.

In Fig. 4 I have illustrated my improved hammock-chair in its duplex form, arranged so that two persons may swing in the chair and face in opposite directions. I have also shown it as having the body portions made of canvas or other textile fabric. In this construction there are preferably three cords 9 9 9 used, which are connected at their lower ends to an elongated slat 20, extending across both bodies of the chairs, which slat acts to couple the chairs together, so that they will movein unison when swinging. If the bodies of the chairs are made of canvas or textile material, they are preferably provided at the ends with the slats 21 and 22, to which the respective supporting-cords at and 5 are attached. These slats act as spreaders to prevent the bodies of the chair from sagging or collapsing when a person is in the chair.

In this construction I provide a By using a flexible body to the chair with three sets of supporting-cords to support it, each cord attached at a separate and independent place on the under side of the roof of the piazza or other object from which the chair is hung, the chair swings from three separate fulcra, and therebyI am able to obtain a very easy undulating movement to the chair, which is very pleasing to the person occupying it, and at the same time the flexibility of the body of the chair causes it to adjust itself so as to support all parts of the person using it. By providing means whereby the length of the supporting-cords are Varied and whereby the intermediate cords are capable of being attached to any one of a number of the intermediate slats forming the body of the chair I am able to readily and easily adjust the inclination of the chair to suit its occupant.

Having thus fully described the nature, construction, and operation of my invention, I wish to secure by Letters Patent and claim- 1. In a hammock-chair, a body composed of a series of slats with their edges hinged to the next slat in the series'a plurality of the intermediate slats notched at either end, supporting-cords at either end of said body, and a supporting-cord on either side of said body adapted to rest within the notches in said intermediate slats, said cords to be attached at independent and separate places on the support from which the chair is hung, whereby the chair will swing from three independent and separate fulcra and the inclination of the body of the chair may be varied to suit the user, for the purpose set forth.

2. In ahammoek-chair, a flexible body, supporting-cords at either end of said body, a supporting-cord attached to either side of said body intermediate its ends, and adjustingclamps on said cords to adjust or vary the length of each cord independent of the other cords, said cord to be attached to independcut and separate places on the support from which the chair is hung, whereby the chair will swing from three independent and sepa rate fulcra and the inclination and shape of the body of the chair may be varied, for the purpose set forth.

3. In a ham mock-chair, a flexible body, supporting-cords attached at their lower ends to the ends and intermediate the ends of said body, substantially as described, said cords attached at their upper ends to separate and independent places in the same horizontal plane on the support from which the chair is hung, whereby the chair will swing from three separate fulcra in the same horizontal plane, for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

IRA JESSEHAN. Witnesses:

O. A. WELLS, A. A. WooLsoN. 

